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No. 6l0,042. Patented Aug. 30, I898. J. C. FROST.

FENCE POST.

(Application filed May 24, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

WI TNESSES 2 JNVENTOR MM bfflmes 0,270.52 I

AllomeyJ No. 6l0,042. Patented Aug. 30, I898. J. C. FROST.

FENCE POST.

(Application filed. May 24, 1898.)

(N0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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ATENT JAMES C. FROST, OF ATHENS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO ADDISONl O. CREAMER, OF SAME PLACE.

FENCE- -POSTJ SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,042,dated August 30, 1898.

Application filed May 24, 1898. Serial No. 681,626. (No model.)

To coZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES C. FROST,a'citizen of the United States,residing at Athens, in the county of Athens and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Posts; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fence-posts; and it consists of theconstruction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be morefully hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to facilitate putting up fences withsecurity and durability and also to provide a stable anchorage orsupport for each post which is in part automatically or self adjustableto compensate for settling of the ground.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of aportion of a fence employing posts embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is asectional elevation of one of the posts and the anchorage or supportstherefor. Fig. 3 is a section on the line w 00, Fig. 2, looking in thedirection of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a fastening deviceadapted for use in connection with the post and shown applied in severalof the figures.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar numerals of reference areemployed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views, thenumeral 1 designates a fence-post which may be formed either tubular orsolid and square, rectangular, round, or of other contour incross-section. The length of the entire post and its penetration intothe ground, as well as its height above the ground-surface, will begoverned by the size and character of the fence required. The part ofthe post that stands above ground is provided with a plurality ofvertically-alined openings 2, arranged as to distance apart eitherregularly or irregularly and sothat the wire runners, boards, or railsto be supported thereby may be nearer together at the bottom than at thetop or of equal distances apart throughout the height of the post.

The lower embedded end of each post rests in a socket 3, formed in theupper central portion of a base-rest block 4:, and above said latterblock a second intermediate anchorageblock 5 is loosely mounted on thepost. The block 4 is placed against the bottom of the post-hole, withthe lower end of the post in the socket 3. The dirt is then thrown in onthe said block and stamped. After the filling has reached a suitableelevation from the base-rest block the block 5,which has a centralopening 6 therein, is slipped over the upper end of the post and looselybears on the top surface of the incomplete filling. The filling is thenthrown in on top of the said block 5 until the ground-level is reached.The opening 6 in the said block 5 is considerably larger than thecross-sectional dimension of the post and will conform to the contourofthe latter. The loose application of the block 5 permits it toautomatically move or gravitate to compensate for sinking of the fillingaround the lower end of the post, and thereby at all times maintain ananchoragesupport. The blocks a and 5 maybe round, square, or of anyother form and are preferably constructed of terracotta or analogousmaterial. The material of which the blocks are formed, however, is notactually essential, though it is desired that they be impervious tomoisture and of a non-corrosive or non-decayin g nature to render themdurable.

The posts are to have wire runners, boards, or rails applied thereto,and, as shown by Fig. 1,wires are strung in position, and Fig. 2 showsboards supported thereby. In said figures an open staple 7 is shown andfully illustrated in detail in Fig. 4. These staples each have an upperand lower hook 8, extending inwardly toward the center, and a shank9,which is inserted through the openings 2, and on the screw-threadedterminating end of each shank,which projects through to the oppositeside of the post, a nutlO is applied. The wire runners 11, Fig. 1, areloopedaround either of the staples and firmly held intact combined withopen staples or fasteners mounted therein and adapted to the securing ofwire runners and having opposite-inturned hooks to engage boards orrails placed therein. I 5 In testimony whereof I affix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. FROST.

Witnesses:

J. J. MCDONALD, JAMES F. BROWN.

